EVALUATION OF SOIL DISPLACEMENT BY DISC PLOUGH TILLAGE ON CLAYEY LOAM SOILS IN GHANA

E. Dazugo, A. A. Mahama, M. N. Josiah, S. Y. Dorvlo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Soil tillage is among the important crop production factors which affects soil properties and crop yield. When an implement engages the soil during tillage operations, the soil particles are displaced from their original position due to soil movement. The manner in which the soil is redistributed depends also, on the type of implement passed through the soil. A number of researches have been done in the area of soil movement, but most of these studies were concentrated on slopes and with implements such as chisel plough, mouldboard plough, harrow etc. Changes in the soil profile have been evident using mouldboard plough (De Alba et al., 2004). Little is known about the modifications that occur within the soil profile as a result of disc plough tillage particularly in Ghana. Since disc plough is the predominantly used primary tillage implement in Ghana, there is the need to study what happens to the soil particles in terms of displacement when the disc plough is passed through the soil for the benefit of the crop.This study sought to examine the soil displacement by the disc plough on clayey loam soil in Ghana. A tractor aggregated with a disc plough was used at three ploughing speeds (5 kmhr 1, 7 kmhr 1 and 9 kmhr 1) and depths (12 cm, 15 cm and 18 cm) under a 3× 3 factorial experimental design. After determining the essential soil and tracer properties (tracer density, soil bulk density, soil texture, and soil moisture content), the tracers were carefully inserted into the soil at specified locations, to effectively monitor the soil displacement. The locations (x-y-z coordinates) of the tracers before and after each ploughing treatment were measured with a soil profiler. The study found that, the average soil displacement caused by the disc plough is 59.8 ± 12.5 cm. The study also found that to ensure a thorough mix of the soil, it is suggested that the ploughing speed of 9kmhr−1. However, if a thorough mix of only the upper 6 cm layer of the top soil profile is desired then a ploughing speed of 5 kmhr 1 is recommended.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)58-62
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of the Ghana Science Association
Volume18
Issue number2
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2019

Keywords

  • depth of cut
  • disc plough tillage
  • ploughing speed
  • soil displacement
  • tracers

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